A/N: I now have a pretty good idea of how this whole story will go, and oh boy am I excited for you guys to read it!
A huge huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, you guys are awesome
Enjoy :)
A small village on the outskirts of Paris buzzed with nervous energy. For the first time since the Queen's death, the royal guard put the town under constant surveillance after rumors began to spread, claiming that Chat Noir was using the small town as a communications outlet for the Revolutionary Army.
The townspeople thought that was ridiculous. Last they knew, the royals wouldn't acknowledge their existence; the procession completely skipped over them last month, saying they were too small to count as a town or make any kind of difference to the country. Now, they were accusing them of helping the revolution. Oh, please. Their town rarely got any traffic; the population hadn't changed in years, and the number of visitors was at an all time low. At this point, the townspeople suspected the royals were running out of places to blame to make up for the lack of word on the revolution. It had been only a matter of time before they decided to target them.
They had every right to be pissed. The royal soldiers certainly were not angels; the people were tired of their harassment and just wanted them gone.
An older merchant watched as yet another soldier came stumbling out of the bar and wandered about, looking for a victim. The merchant shook her head to herself and averted her eyes. She learned early on that direct eye contact with them never ended well, so she was sure to avoid it. She distracted herself by looking out at the other stands.
A few locals busted about, grocery bags in hand. An unfamiliar figure caught her eye. She appeared to be a young girl, maybe in her early 20s; it was hard to tell because she wore a large hat covering most of her head. She was wandering from stand to stand, casually chatting with the merchants, but never actually buying anything. The woman noticed she spent much longer speaking with Frank‒ God, she hated Frank ‒one stand over.
She found it slightly odd, but decided to wait until the girl approached her before she made any judgments. Sure enough, some five minutes later the girl ambled over.
"Good afternoon, Madam," she greeted with a warm smile.
The woman returned it. "Good afternoon, Miss. Is there anything I can help you with?"
She fidgeted a little with her bag strap. "Actually, yes. I was wondering if there were any open buildings nearby. My parents own a bakery and would like to expand it out here."
"I see…" The woman surveyed her. The girl was smiling politely, her entire appearance radiating kindness and innocence. "There are a few buildings for sale on the south side of town…"
The girl's smile faltered for a moment, but she recovered quickly.
"Oh, is that so?" Despite her pleasant smile, she didn't seem pleased with the answer.
The merchant hesitated before continuing, "But, if I'm honest, you might not want to outsource in this town. At least, not right now."
That seemed to peak her interest immediately. "Really? Why's that?" she asked quickly.
The woman glanced at the soldier making his way over to Frank. The girl followed her gaze.
"Oh, I see…" She lowered her voice. "Do you mind if I ask why they're here?"
"Rumors." The merchant leaned forward and dropped her voice until it was almost inaudible. "Revolutionary rumors."
The girl shot a nervous glance over at the soldier, whom Frank was currently cowering under. "And… are they true?" she whispered.
The woman shook her head adamantly. "Of course not! It's probably just another ploy so the soldiers can come and control us."
The girl's face fell. She looked back at the soldier and Frank again. Frank was now speaking rapidly. The soldier occasionally looked in their direction, eyes narrowed. She adjusted her hat to cover her face more and turned her back on them.
"Well, thank you for your help, Madam. Have a nice afternoon." She quickly said before briskly walking away.
"Oh…" The woman stared confusedly after the departing girl. She turned to Frank and the soldier. The soldier was still a bit drunk, but he appeared to have sobered up a little at whatever Frank told him. He stumbled forward in the direction of the girl.
"Hey!" he shouted after her. She continued to walk, picking up her pace. "Hey, you! In the hat!" A small group of royal guardsmen exited the bar then, their comrade's yells drawing their attention. The soldier turned to them and pointed down the street. "Catch that girl! Now!"
Marinette broke into a sprint and tore into an alleyway, shouts and footsteps sounding after her. She came out into the neighboring street. She quickly and carefully weaved through shoppers and merchants, ducking into another alleyway on the other side of the road. She cringed when she heard thuds and screams as the soldiers followed in her wake, not at all considerate of the people in the path between them and their prey. Marinette continued to run.
It was such a stupid mistake. She'd grown impatient and wasn't as subtle as she could have been, but who could blame her? This was, what, the eleventh town she visited? She always tried to get the merchants to bring up the subject of the revolution first so as to not be suspicious, but that was easier said than done. She was wrong in assuming most of the villagers would warn her of the rumors spreading about each of the towns; the old woman she just spoke to was the first.
Frank had annoyed her to say the least, and that mixed with her impatience and frustration led to her outright interrogating him about the revolution. With the way he immediately started babbling, she thought maybe he had some information, but she was wrong. All he did was complain about how the rumors weren't true and how much he suffered under the abuse of the soldiers. She should have known he would rat her out to save his own skin. Asshole.
Marinette felt slightly relieved when the footsteps behind her subsided. She continued moving quickly and weaved through the streets unnoticed. She backtracked a bit and slowed down in an alley to catch her breath. She pulled the sunhat off and dropped it to the ground, closing her eyes and suppressing the building frustration in the pit of her stomach.
Another town. Another bust.
She'd been doing this for a month, and she was still exactly where she started. If anything, she took a few steps back; the soldiers were after her now, so leaving this town just got ten times more difficult. She prayed once she did get out, they would just forget about her. Hopefully this blip wouldn't pose a problem in the future.
When she opened her eyes, she noticed a door directly to her left. She turned to look at it, then she began observing the building. It looked pretty rundown, so maybe it was empty. She could really use somewhere to hide out for the time being. Marinette approached the door and reached out for the handle before realizing there wasn't one. Her eyebrows furrowed. She scanned the whole door but found nothing but smooth wood. She frowned and looked up and down the alley; there were no other doors.
Huh, strange.
Now that she thought about it, maybe this was one of the buildings for sale that the merchant lady mentioned. Does that mean she's on the south side of town? Damn, she ran far. Marinette turned and leaned her back against the door, closing her eyes again.
She knew this would be difficult. Why wouldn't it be? If the revolution had managed to keep themselves hidden from the royal guards, then of course they could keep themselves hidden from wandering travelers like her. She thought she was onto something back in Versailles, but it turned out to be a bust, as usual.
She'd almost given up so many times already, but then she would have a nightmare about Emilie and Adrien and her determination would renew instantly. Emilie was so cruelly killed, and Adrien could be suffering at this very moment. She couldn't let her own hardships get in the way of finding him. She didn't care how long it took; she would find the army and find Adrien, whether it be in five days or five years.
Her eyes suddenly snapped open. Loud and heavy footsteps sounded to her left at the end of the alleyway. She cursed under her breath and turned to run in the opposite direction, but she stopped short. Shouting came from the right side of the alley as well. Her heart hammered in her chest as panic set in. She searched around her rapidly, looking for anything she could use to hide herself from view.
Nothing.
No. This can't be happening. Not now.
She stood frozen as her mind raced, but she only came up with blanks. The shadows of the soldiers appeared at either end of the alley. All she could do was look back and forth, her hands shaking as adrenaline coursed through her.
If they caught her, she would surely be executed. Her parents would be executed. This can't be happening. This can't-
The door behind her opened and she was roughly tugged backward. A hand muffled her shout of surprise as the door closed, leaving them in complete darkness. The person softly shushed her. They both listened intently to the distant sound of soldiers passing by. The footsteps and shouts soon faded into silence, and after a few long seconds, the hand slowly lowered from Marinette's mouth.
She immediately whipped around and pressed her back into the door. "Who are you?" She couldn't see anything. Her hands felt around the door, still not finding a handle.
She heard a small chuckle. "Relax, girl. I'm not gonna hurt you."
Marinette was mildly surprised to hear a woman's voice. She stayed silent.
A sigh. "Let's get some light in here, shall we?" There were footsteps and then the illumination of a lighter. The woman lit a gas lamp on a table in the center of the room before proceeding to light various candles in holders on the walls. Marinette took her eyes off the woman for just a moment to observe her surroundings. The room was very small and cozy, with bookshelves and small side tables lining the edges. Her eyes flicked back to the woman when she finally turned to face her.
Her eyes and hair were both brown. No, her hair was red. Maybe. It was too dark to tell. A pair of glasses sat perched on her nose. She crossed her arms in front of her. "That was a close one," she commented with a small smirk.
Marinette stared blankly. "Who are you?" she repeated.
The woman contemplated the question for a moment before answering. "Rena Rouge."
"That sounds fake."
"That's because it is." Her smirk grew into a grin. 'Rena Rouge' turned and made her way over to the table, pulling up two chairs. "You can sit if you'd like. I bet you're pretty exhausted after all that running." She sat down in one of the chairs and placed her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, still smiling at Marinette. When Marinette didn't move, she silently motioned with her eyes to the chair across from her.
Marinette was beyond confused right now. Somehow, this woman knew she was being chased, and for some reason, helped her escape. Sure, maybe she saw the commotion outside and put two and two together, even though most of it happened on the opposite side of town. That could have been it, she was just being a good samaritan, but Marinette had a feeling there was more to this 'Rena Rouge' than just that. Not everyone lurks in dark alleyway rooms, and not everyone has strange pseudonyms at the ready.
But… she didn't seem dangerous. She obviously wasn't with the royal guards. If anything, she seemed to be the complete opposite of those hot-tempered drunkards, but did that mean she was trustworthy? No, not yet, but the woman did save her. She seemed to want to talk for some reason; Marinette could do that, right? There wasn't any harm in that. If anything got sketchy, she'd find a way to escape.
Please. It was already sketchy as hell.
Marinette waited a moment longer before slowly leaning away from the door. She eyed Rena Rouge suspiciously as she made her way over and lowered herself into the rickety wooden chair.
Neither spoke for a few seconds.
"So, what brings you to town?" Rena Rouge asked.
Marinette didn't hesitate, the practiced words flowing freely despite her mind still trying to figure out what the heck was going on. "I'm looking for a building. My parents want to expand their business."
Rena Rouge raised her eyebrows. "Really? Any luck?"
Marinette shook her head, not breaking eye contact. "Doesn't look like it."
Rena Rouge tilted her head to the side. "Strange. You got plenty of offers in Versailles."
Marinette froze. How did she know that? Versailles was five towns ago. Rena Rouge continued to smile. Marinette grew unnerved.
"Are you… following me?"
Rena Rouge shook her head. "No, but I think we're following the same path, so we keep ending up at the same places."
That peaked Marinette's interest. "The same path," she echoed.
"You're searching for the revolution, right?" Rena Rouge asked casually. Marinette was shocked by how blunt she was. Nearly every person she'd encountered so far wouldn't speak of the revolution out loud, and if they did, it was only in a whisper. Rena Rouge's pleasant expression didn't falter at all.
Marinette opened her mouth and closed it. She tried again, stuttering and stumbling as she kept starting her sentences over. She finally landed on, "Are you?"
Rena Rouge nodded her head side to side in a so-so gesture. "Yes and no." She lifted her head from her palm and leaned forward. "But I need you to answer my question." When Marinette didn't respond, she let out a small sigh. "Look, I know you don't trust me right now, but I'm trying to gauge if I can trust you. You have questions, right? I have answers. I just need to know what your intentions are before I can move forward."
Marinette broke the eye contact and stared down at the table, biting her lip. She didn't dare hope, not yet. She tried to come up with as many different possibilities as she could to explain away what Rena Rouge was saying, but they all lead back to one conclusion. No, that can't be. There's no way she's that lucky.
Could this woman actually be from the revolution?
Her hand subconsciously tightened around the strap of her bag, in which was a pair of ruby red earrings: her lucky charm.
Maybe. Just maybe...
Marinette arrived at another conclusion. She ditched all subtly and decided to take her chances. She looked back up with determination. "Yes, I'm looking for the revolution. I want to join."
Rena Rouge beamed. "I think I can help with that."
Marinette cursed under her breath as she hit another bump and was jostled around again.
"Sorry." Rena Rouge muttered under her breath.
Marinette was currently curled up under a sheet in a pull along wagon, surrounded by various items in order to make her look less suspicious.
Marinette was still trying to wrap her mind around everything. Not an hour ago she stood in an alleyway losing all hope again. Now, she was being smuggled out of town by a recruiter for the revolutionary army. Occasionally she heard a group of soldiers pass, too distracted by the prospect of catching a possible revolutionary to notice them.
Marinette had so much to ask, but Rena Rouge insisted she ask everything once they were safely out of town and on the road. Of course, all this did was give her time to crowd her mind with more and more questions.
Soon the chattering sound of the streets faded away, replaced by the sound of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves. Marinette was slightly apprehensive about being dragged into the woods by an unknown woman, but for some reason, she found herself trusting Rena Rouge. If what she said was true, Rena Rouge was taking a much bigger risk than Marinette was, possibly risking the revolution. If what she said wasn't true...
"Alright, girl, I think we're good now."
Marinette felt Rena Rouge untuck the sheet from around her. She sat up and stretched her arms, her muscles aching from being held in such an uncomfortable position for so long. She blinked a few times to clear her bleary eyes and looked around.
They were on a small path in the middle of the forest. The trees overhead were tall, but spaced enough that the sun could shine through. Rena Rouge offered a hand and helped Marinette out of the wagon.
"Well, if you were planning to kill me, now would be your best chance." Marinette said as she swung her bag over her shoulder.
Rena Rouge laughed. "Don't worry, I'll have plenty more opportunities later." Her smile assured that she was joking, and Marinette found herself laughing too. She was feeling more and more comfortable with her now.
Rena Rouge stepped up to the wagon and pulled out her own bag. "Right, so," she turned around, "are you up for some walking?"
"Sure. How far are we going?" Marinette watched as Rena Rouge dragged the wagon to the side of the path and positioned it behind a tree.
"A few miles." She came back to the path and the two began walking. "You're lucky though. That town is probably the closest one to where we're headed."
"And where are we headed?"
Rena Rouge turned to meet Marinette's eyes. "The Revolutionary Army's base."
Marinette got goosebumps. She already knew that, but hearing it said out loud made everything seem more real. She was actually going there, to the revolution.
Marinette suppressed the building hope inside her. No, this woman could be lying still. Don't get carried away...
Marinette looked back at the path in front of her. Maybe she could ask a few questions now. They were hypothetical questions, of course, since this woman was probably lying… "So, you've been seeing me around since Versailles, right?"
"Yup."
"Then that means the rumors are true. I only visited those towns because there were rumors about the revolution being stationed there."
"Yup." Rena Rouge seemed completely at ease.
Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. "Isn't that bad, though?"
"Why is that bad?"
"Well, because it means the royal guard is onto you guys, if they've been right about every town they suspect is connected to the revolution."
Rena Rouge chuckled a little. "Do you know how I choose what towns to scout in?" she asked suddenly.
Marinette shook her head.
"I only choose the towns under speculation. People who really want to join ‒people like you‒ they're going to follow the rumors to see if they're true. The revolution has to remain in secret, so no real information about us ever gets leaked out; the only things people hear are whatever the royals are spewing. The best way we can find new recruits is if we follow them, and they're following the royal bullshit. The royal guard thinks they're scaring us away from different locations, but they're actually creating hotspots for us to find newcomers."
Marinette thought for a moment. That's actually… kind of smart. "But… isn't that dangerous? What if you get caught?"
Rena Rouge shrugged. "It's risky, but it's worth it. We have to stay hidden from the royals, but somehow make it possible for the people to find us if they want. It's a crazy idea, and honestly, if anyone else had proposed it, I would've said no."
"Who proposed it?"
"Chat Noir."
Marinette felt another wave of goosebumps. Chat Noir. She'd been seeing news stories and posters about him for five years, never more than a rehashing of the prison break or speculations about him leading a revolution. He was so elusive that after a while, everyone began viewing him like a myth or a legend. Hearing someone talk about him ‒someone who's probably met him‒ like he was a person and not some fairytale, it felt surreal.
"So, then, you know Chat Noir?" Marinette asked casually.
Rena Rouge nodded. "He's my boss, even though he sure as hell doesn't act like one."
What does that mean? Marinette was about to voice that thought, but Rena Rouge changed the subject.
"Anyways, I should probably brief you on a few things." She hiked her bag higher on her shoulder and held her hands out in front of her. "First things first, the layout." She motioned near the bottom of an imaginary blueprint. "The South Training Ground is for the newbies." She moved her hands up and to either side. "The East and West Training Grounds are where you graduate to after completing basic training." Her hands went to the top. "The North Training Ground is for the special units and the higher ranking soldiers."
She motioned to the middle. "The center is where the families stay. Most of the soldiers can't leave their families behind without putting them in danger, so we bring them to come and help farm food for the army. In the case of an attack, they'll be protected by our troops on all sides; they're in the safest location possible.
"We also have a bit of a theme in the army."
That peaked Marinette's interest.
"A theme?"
She nodded. "We all wear masks, or face paint, or veils, or whatever else you can think of to hide your face. We also go by pseudonyms of our choosing. Typically, they're animal related; you can blame a certain black cat for that. The point is to keep the soldiers' identities safe in the event that we get infiltrated. Not everyone brought their families, so we need to ensure that their participation in the revolution doesn't backfire on them and hurt the people they care about."
Damn. Marinette was impressed. No wonder nobody has heard a word on the revolution; they're seriously well prepared.
"Now, I have a question for you."
Marinette raised her head to look at Rena Rouge. "What is it?"
"What part of the army do you want to join? Do you want to help out with farming? Recruiting? Or are you looking to join the military side of it?"
Marinette paused. She'd gone forward thinking that the army was just the army; she didn't realize there were different sections she could choose from. She figured she would have a military role, but now that she thought about it, would she be allowed? Women typically worked behind the scenes helping out the soldiers, but she wanted to be a soldier. Could she even do that?
Rena Rouge seemed to read her thoughts. "I'll warn you that it won't be easy. You're actually the first girl I've recruited that wasn't tagging along as family. I know one of the troop leaders, and he can help sneak you in, but you have to pretend you're not a girl."
Marinette frowned. "So women aren't allowed to fight?"
Rena Rouge let out a sigh. "They are, it's just that the soldiers in there won't treat you equally if they know you're a woman. You're basically competing in a man's sport, and if they know you're not a man, most of them won't take you seriously. It'll be much less difficult for you if you hide it, which in itself will be tricky. You're also already at a disadvantage since most of these guys have worked hard labor jobs their whole lives, so they're pretty in shape. You'll have to work extra hard to keep up with them."
Marinette wasn't out of shape, but she most definitely wasn't fit either. Sure, she was used to carrying thirty pound flour bags and might have a bit of upper body strength, but she also grew up in a bakery, where sweets and pastries were easily accessible for her to munch on at any time.
Marinette felt apprehensive about the additional things she'd have to do in order to blend in, but she wasn't deterred. She came this far and already faced many obstacles. This was nothing.
She took a deep breath and gave a curt nod. "Okay, I'll do that."
Rena Rouge seemed slightly surprised. "Wow, really?" She whistled. "You're committed. I respect that."
They walked for a while after that. There wasn't much else for Rena Rouge to tell her, as the girl insisted Marinette would learn plenty when she got there. After an hour or so, Rena Rouge began straying off the path.
She turned back to Marinette. "We go off road from here." She moved to continue walking, but Marinette stopped her.
"Wait, Rena Rouge." She turned and gave Marinette a questioning look. Marinette was silent for a moment before voicing something she'd been wondering since she met this woman. "Why do you trust me?"
Rena Rouge thought it over for several seconds. "Because you didn't trust me." Marinette tilted her head to the side. She continued. "Most people I recruit are too eager and overly trusting. The fact that you're still wary of me, even after I told you about the revolution, tells me that this is important to you, enough so that you're cautious despite this being exactly what you've been looking for." She offered a smile. "You'll make a good soldier."
Rena Rouge turned and continued walking into the woods. "And by the way," she added, turning again, "you can call me Alya."
Marinette blinked a couple of times before grinning. "I'm Marinette."
Marinette's feet were killing her. They'd been navigating through fallen trees and thickening brush for hours now. The farther they went, the closer the trees got, allowing less and less light to shine through the leaves above them. Alya artfully weaved her way through the twigs and logs as though she'd walked through here a thousand times, which was probably true. Marinette, on the other hand, kept catching her pants on thorns and had many baby cuts covering her ankles and calves.
"You guys are-," Marinette stumbled and nearly face planted into a bush, "really far out here."
"We have to be." Alya called over her shoulder. "Don't worry, we're nearly there."
"You said that three hours ago." Marinette mumbled.
They continued to walk. The woods got so dense, it became impossible to see ten feet in front of them. They trekked on for another twenty minutes before Alya stopped short.
"What is it?" Marinette asked, worried something was wrong.
Alya looked back at her. "Do you hear that?" She was grinning.
Marinette glanced around, listening intently. She heard the leaves rustling overhead. Birds chirping. Buzzing insects. Distant chatter. Marching…
Wait.
Marinette's eyes blew wide. "Are we…"
Alya's grin grew impossibly wider. "We are." They walked for another few minutes, the darkness around them slowly lifting. The marching grew louder.
No way. Marinette continued to suppress the hope that was fighting to stay alive inside her.
Daylight filtered between one last layer of trees before them. Alya sidestepped a humongous oak and beamed at what she saw behind it. She turned back to Marinette. She motioned with her head, indicating the space in front of her. "Wanna come see?"
Marinette's heart beat rapidly in her chest. This was it. She tried to swallow, but her throat had gone dry. Slowly, she made her way over to the side of the tree. She glanced at Alya, who gave her an encouraging smile.
It's not real.
Don't let yourself hope.
Marinette stepped forward.
Her mouth fell open.
Before them was an incredibly large field. Hundreds of tents were strewn across one half, the other an open space filled with people. So many people. A group of men had formed a circle around a duo sparring. A troop was practicing their marching, the yells of their troop leader echoing in the field. Another troop jogged past them as they made their way around the perimeter. By the tents, men sat and chatted with one another as they carved random shapes into blocks of wood. All of them had some form of mask or paint on their face.
Marinette couldn't help herself.
She started laughing.
She laughed as her eyes raked over the sight before her. The sheer number of people she saw was astonishing. This many people had gathered here, ready to fight and bring their lives back, the lives of their entire country.
The spark of hope inside her exploded into a bursting flame. This was it. This was it. Dear God, it exists. Here it was, right in front of her.
The revolution.